Analysis and optimisation of occupational and patient radiation dose in clinical applications

Abstract

The radiation workers engaged in radiation applications in medical and industrial practices such as diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, and applications in industrial radiography are subjected to low-level radiation exposure throughout their profession. The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) has reported worldwide occupational doses for various practices and the average annual effective dose ranges from 0.6 - 2 mSv. Occupational dosimetry optimizes radiation protection, through equipment performance, protection devices, and training in radiation protection. Occupational exposure depends on both human and organizational factors such as workload, duration, safety behaviors, protection accessories, and procedures available in their working environment and varies from one facility to another with an influence by societal diversity. The peaceful uses of radiation in various practices have increased many folds, resulting in a significant increase in occupational workers in this industry. The use of ionizing radiation in medical applications is vast and ever-increasing. As per the UNSCEAR records, among the man-made sources, medical exposure is the maximum contributor with an effective dose per capita of 0.57 mSv excluding radiotherapy. Diagnostic nuclear medicine accounts for about one percentage of all procedures and its contribution to the collective effective dose has raised from five percentages to seven percentages, UNSCEAR reports that the annual frequency of NM diagnostic procedures doubled in 2008 as compared to that in the 1970s. In UNSCEAR 2008, India was categorized as a healthcare level II country. The annual number of diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures per 1,000 populations was identified as 0.1 during 1980-1984 and 0.2 during 1985-1990, the complete calculations of the occurrence and accompanying doses from nuclear medicine procedures are piloted infrequently. newline